Head of the Corner

In this passage, Matt 21:33-46, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they are the builders who rejected the stone which becomes the head of the corner.

When Jesus was on earth, the Kingdom of God was at hand, Mk 1:9-15.  Among other things, in the kingdom of God, there is a building to be built. And the builders of this building were to be the nation of Israel.  But they rejected a particular “stone”.

According to the context of the parable about the vineyard, this stone is the “son”, who is the “heir”.  He is Jesus Christ.  And he is the head of the corner.  See what Peter said in Acts 4:10-11.  What does “head of the corner” mean?

See Ps 118:22-23, which the Lord quoted.  The head of the corner is the head stone of the corner.  This is not the headstone as in grave marker.  And it’s not the cap stone.  This is the head stone, as in chief.  In 1 Pet 2:4-7 Jesus is the chief cornerstone.  This corner stone is the first foundation stone, Is 28:16.  It’s not a stone placed on top of a building.

The kingdom of God was taken from the nation of Israel and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.  The nation that took over the building of the building is the church.  We are an holy nation, 1 Pet 2:9.  Contrast Israel in Ex 19:5-6.

The first stone laid in the foundation is Jesus Christ.  The chief corner stone is the stone which lays out the orientation of the building and sets up the standard for the entire rest of the building.  “Other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus  Christ”, 1 Cor 3:9-11.

Jesus is the head stone, which is the chief cornerstone laid in the foundation of the building.  At the same time, he is the head of the body, the church, Eph 1:20-23.

The rest of the foundation is made up of the apostles and prophets, Eph 2:19-22, Eph 3:5.  And we are the lively stones placed in this building when we are saved, as Peter said.  This building was started by Jesus Christ, Matt 16:18, and is still under construction, 1 Cor 3:12-16.  Today, we are to be building on it.

Jesus said, “Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken”, Matt 21:44, 1 Pet 2:8, Rom 9:30-33.  This is because Jesus is the chief cornerstone.  You fall on it when you reject Jesus Christ.  To keep from being broken, you must receive Jesus.

Jesus also said, about this stone, “on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder”.  Jesus is coming back again after the building is completed.  See Dan 2:34-35.  And here Jesus is the stone that becomes a mountain, a kingdom, Dan 2:44.  When that stone falls on men it grinds them down and they are blown away like the chaff, which is burned.

Now you know what this parable is about and you know what the head of the corner is.  You also know that we are supposed to be building on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  Don’t be like the Pharisees.  They rejected the stone.  And when they did, God turned the construction of the building over to us.  Don’t neglect to build.  Keep building the building by adding more souls whom the Lord can add to the building as lively stones.